Media Guidelines

Welcome to Club Deportivo Chivas USA. The following guidelines have been set forth by the Communications Department in order to assist you in your coverage of Chivas USA during the 2014 Major League Soccer season.

STUBHUB CENTER
Chivas USA’s home games and practices take place at the StubHub Center, a world-class multi-sport facility located at 18400 Avalon Boulevard on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in the city of Carson, California. Please adhere to the following team and facility policies when covering Chivas USA practices and games at the StubHub Center.

ACCREDITATION
To apply for credentials, please request appropriate application link from Chivas USA Communications. Single-game game credentials can be requested up to 72 hours prior to kickoff, and can be picked up at the Media Will Call office at the northwest corner of the stadium as early as two hours before kickoff on gameday.

Bearers of credentials must be on a specific assignment for the organization to which the credential is issued. The credential must be visible at all times and shall bear the name of the person accredited. Credentials are non-transferable, and bearers are subject to all team and facility policies. Credentials remain the property of Chivas USA and misuse or abuse will lead to the forfeiture of the credential.

PRACTICES
Chivas USA holds practices between four and five days per weeks. Practices typically run between one and two hours. All practices are open to the media, unless otherwise specified by the team and/or coaching staff.

Fans are welcome to watch practice but are not allowed to enter the practice field.

The Chivas USA Communications Department will release a practice schedule at the beginning of each week, which will be distributed to members of the media via email and on the team’s website. Please note that times are subject to change. Please advise the Communications Department if you wish to attend practice.

GAMEDAYSPress Box
On game days at The Home Depot Center, Chivas USA shall maintain a working press area in the stadium press box, located on the third level on the west side of the stadium and accessible via elevator and stairs on the west concourse. Admission to the press box is limited to holders of Chivas USA or MLS credentials.

A limited number of local-call telephones are available in the press box; contact the Communications Department to order a phone or high-speed line for your organization.

Statisticians are available to assist radio and television broadcasters by contacting the Communications Department. These services must be arranged at least 72 hours in advance, and once arranged, statisticians must be compensated whether used or not.

Parking passes are available in limited quantities, and paid for in full price by the team; as such, Chivas USA will not be able to accommodate all requests for parking passes.

Food and beverage service will be available in the press box on gamedays, at a team-subsidized price. In addition, coffee and water are provided free of cost by the team to members of the working media.

Photography and Video
Per the StubHub Center, absolutely no still or video cameras are allowed to shoot on the main concourse or in the seating areas, unless accompanied by a media escort provided by the building or team.

Photo credentials are issued only to photographers working on assignment for a specific media outlet; no freelance photography is allowed. All photographers must proceed around the main concourse to Section 140 (southeast corner) to enter field. Sections 106 and 140 are the only entrances to the field for media.

Locker Rooms and Interviews
Per MLS rules, all locker rooms must be open 15 minutes after the final whistle. Only members of the working media are allowed access to locker rooms. In addition, access to players and coaches are made available outside the locker room up to 60 minutes before each match by request only. No media member may use a cell phone inside a team locker room. Media members may carry their cell phones into the locker room, and use them as recording devices but may not use them to place calls or take photographs. Photographers will not have locker room access.

Autographs are not allowed during media access periods and any attempt to procure and autograph shall lead to the confiscation of your credential. Still photography is also strictly prohibited in team locker rooms.

The officials’ locker room is closed to the media; a pool reporter will be assigned for each game by the Public Relations and Communications Department, and approved by MLS, and activated in cases where a comment or clarification is required from the referee, and said reporter will then divulge the information to fellow colleagues.

In closing, we hope you find these guidelines helpful in planning your coverage of Club Deportivo Chivas USA. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further queries.